Until The Day I Rise
by EtherealRed
Summary: He'd intended to thwart Naga by joining with his younger vessel only for the boy's mind to shatter under his touch. It is frustrating, but Grima knows how to turn unfortunate events in his favor - and what better way to defy Naga than to disguise himself as human and infiltrate her servants' hearts alongside his vessel? Grima-centric.
1. Prologue

AN: I just finished Fire Emblem Awakening again and was struck by the urge to write a fic, so this was born~. Updates will probably be erratic but it should progress at a reasonable pace. No, Grima will not be paired with anyone romantically. Also, I guess I should just put this out there now - there is no Robin x Lucina or Robin x any other 2nd gen character.

Speaking of Grima, he will probably act OOC since his characterization in the game is basically YOU FIGHT IN VAIN FOR I CANNOT DIE, SEE MY POWER AND TREMBLE BEFORE ME which isn't really a good way to act if he wants to manipulate people without Validar and the Grimleal around. Also, I've wanted to explore his character for a while now and the game doesn't really expand on who he is, so I'll be taking a few liberties with him in this fic.

Well, enjoy! Any and all feedback is always welcome. :)

* * *

:: Prologue ::

* * *

_The humans were moving again. They crept across the ruined city, weapons and supplies clutched tightly in white-knuckled hands. Whenever they reached one of the few buildings that were only partially destroyed they quickly ducked into its shelter and reorganized themselves, wiping off sweaty weapon hilts and taking tiny sips of water to keep up their strength as they glanced anxiously at the darkening sky._

_Once upon a time Ylisstol had been the jewel of the halidom, a sprawling metropolis that welcomed any and all into its arms. By the same token it had been one of the first to fall, the densely packed population proving an effective catalyst for the Risen invasion. Now all that remained of the once grand city was a charred debris field that spread for acres in all directions and, in the center of it all, the battered but still proud walls which surrounded the Exalt's Castle. It was a symbol for the few humans who still remained - a symbol of hope, a reminder of what they'd once had and a dream that one day the past would be restored. And so they moved, picked their way over the Risen-infested ruins of the city and hovered nervously at the castle gates until a sentry confirmed their humanity and let them in._

_If he wanted he could put an end to all this. It wouldn't take much, not at all - the soldiers and mages which patrolled the walls were gnats in the face of his power, the haphazardly armed 'survivors' much less so._

_Or, perhaps, a more indirect route. There was no shortage of death within the castle, which was beginning to overflow with refugees even while more kept arriving. Starvation. Disease. Humanity's most ancient enemies were hard at work within those walls and although the corpses were burned almost before the heart even stopped all it would take was the smallest pulse of power, a tiny nudge..._

_He picked up a pebble and tossed it, watching it clatter across the ground. The humans' footsteps froze; their weapons moved into defensive positions and the adults quickly closed ranks around the children. After a quick survey of the surrounding area the group began to move again, hurriedly picking their way through the debris. They were only a few yards away from the wall, but here the ground was clear of all obstructions and they were in clear sight of any patrolling Risen._

_His body soared through the skies in the far horizon, laughed as he watched some survivors on Valm despair upon discovering their carefully hidden food cache destroyed by Risen, and perhaps that was what gave these humans the courage to suddenly sprint and pound on the gates until they opened._

_It would be so easy..._

* * *

Grima frowned as he stared down at his vessel's sleeping face. Mortal minds were so fragile - it had taken only a few of his memories before shattering into irretrievable pieces. The fact that his vessel had been struggling against him the entire time certainly hadn't helped either. He'd forgotten how weak and untrained his Heart had been before Naga's bloodline forced him to become stronger, to push his limits and grow into his destiny. As much as he hated that so-called 'Divine' dragon he had to admit that if not for her precious Exalt his vessel might've remained hidden in obscurity forever.

He pushed his foot against the bedpost, easily balancing on the back legs of his chair as he waited for his vessel to wake up. Robin, was it? Such a mundane name for the Grimleal's greatest achievement. Perhaps this time around he'd use his powers on corpses of the birds which shared the same name; his vessel had always been fond of irony. Risen robins. He liked the sound of that.

Robin shifted and groaned, prompting Grima to crash his chair back on all fours and lean forward. A careful probing of the man's mind revealed that he was in the process of waking up, and barely a second later dark brown eyes blinked open and stared confusedly at the ceiling.

Grima tapped into the long dormant personality of his vessel, seeking out and falling into his vessel's mannerisms and way of speech. "Hey," he said with a smile. "Look who decided to wake up."

Robin looked at him blankly. "I...um, what?"

"What?" Grima mimicked, raising an eyebrow. "You're the one who passed out in the middle of the street. Seriously Robin, why do you keep fainting like a little farm girl?"

Robin gave him a half-hearted scowl that quickly became a confused frown. "Wait...Robin? Is that my name? Who are you, anyway?"

This time both of Grima's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "You're joking, right?" When Robin just continued to stare at him blankly he reached out and pressed his palm against Robin's forehead, putting on a worried expression. "Robin? It's me." He quickly dug around for a name. Well, he'd always been fond of the term 'leviathan'... "Levi. Your twin. Remember?"

"My...twin? You're my brother?" Robin winced and rubbed his temple, a panicked look spreading across his face. "I'm sorry, I...I don't remember anything."

He was beginning to hyperventilate; Grima suppressed his annoyance and quickly grabbed Robin's shoulders. "Don't push yourself! If you don't remember then you don't remember - calm down."

Once Robin's breathing had returned to normal Grima slumped back in his chair, the very image of a concerned and tired brother as he 'explained' the events that had led up to Robin's 'collapse' and amnesia. He decided to begin at the very beginning, with the truth - or at least the truth that Robin had originally been aware of, with the addition of a 'twin brother'.

"We grew up in an orphanage near the Plegia-Ylisse border. Apparently one day a woman just showed up on the doorstep, gave us to the priest in charge, and died. They never told us how she died but my guess is that she was a war casualty - Ylisse was constantly attacking Plegia at the time and most of the kids there were orphaned thanks to the war." At Robin's confused look Grima backtracked and briefly explained what Ylisse and Plegia were before continuing. "It was decided that since we orphans were living off the kingdom's funds we should at least repay the kingdom in some way, so all of us were given two options: either work in the fields or become a soldier. The two of us decided to become soldiers and were among a group of kids sent to a retired general to learn how to fight."

"It was soon discovered that we had a talent for magic." Here Grima nodded at the books lying on a nearby table - the Thunder tome that Robin had been carrying and a Flux tome that Grima had pieced together with his powers before sealing them away to play human. "We were sent to an army outpost to continue our studies and it was there that we learned the basics of military strategy and tactics. By this time Ylisse's Exalt had been killed and his daughter took his place, and since she wasn't nearly as bloodthirsty as her father was we were never sent into battle. Eventually we left the outpost by ourselves and began to travel around helping some of the smaller villages rebuild."

"Eventually we heard rumors about Ylisse, or to be more accurate the Exalt. The Ylisseans hated war as much as us Plegians did, and by extension hated the tyrant who forced them to participate, but apparently this new Exalt - the daughter of that tyrant - had become extremely popular with the common people. You became curious and wanted to see the reason for this; I, knowing you'll likely get in trouble if you went by yourself, followed along. We're currently in a town about a two day's journey away from Ylisstol - the Ylissean capital - and you fainted in the middle of the street. I carried you to the nearest inn, you woke up with amnesia, and the rest is what we're working on now."

Robin nodded, looking slightly overwhelmed, but before he could say anything someone began to scream.

They jumped to their feet, running over to the window. As Robin stuck his head out and squinted into the distance Grima reached out with his senses, detecting what seemed to be a band of bandits waging havoc at the town gate - and, more intriguingly, three familiar figures hurrying towards the town from further down the road.

"The town's under attack," Robin muttered, pulling on one of the coats dangling from a wall hook and grabbing the two tomes. He hesitated, looking between them for a moment before tossing the Flux one to Grima. "This one is yours, right?"

"Yes." Grima looked disdainfully down at the book - despite being of his own creation it was still a human toy and it pained him to even pretend to use it. "Let's go."


	2. Hunter and Prey

A/N: There will be a few POV changes in this chapter, but this probably won't be a regular thing unless it works out really well. In this case it's because I'm not sure I can write a whole chapter of Grima being bored out of his mind and analyzing human nature before things get really repetitive, and I also wanted to show a bit of how 'Levi' appears to the other characters. Don't worry, we'll get more looks into Grima's head during battle in future chapters.

Grima's Flux is based on the GBA animation instead of the animation in Awakening and I might do the same for his other spells in the future just to distinguish his spellcasting from ordinary dark mages. Also, the shaman and druid animations in the GBA games are awesome.

A big thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and/or faved last chapter!

* * *

:: Hunter and Prey ::

* * *

Metal clashed against bloodstained metal; flames licked hungrily at wooden buildings, smoke billowed into the sky, and the scent of blood hung heavy in the air. And then there were the screams - the screams of the dying, the wounded, the frightened, the bloodthirsty.

He had always been...not interested, but perhaps _intrigued_ by the human scream - a unique, beautiful, fleeting thing born of pure emotion. Joy. Exhilaration. Determination. Sorrow. Anger. Pain. Humans were truly at the peak of their humanity when at the height of their emotions, and what better way to bring out those emotions than the unending cycle of aggressor and victim, hunter and prey?

His vessel had never agreed and it seemed amnesia hadn't changed anything in that regard; even now Robin's face was set in an expression of grim determination. And yet in pursuing the punishment of those at fault he himself would take his own place in the cycle, bearing the mantle of the hunter as he struck down the aggressors-turned-prey. Grima supposed it was hardly fair to expect differently from a human; for all their pretty words about peace and progress there was little that could suppress their natural predisposition to conflict.

* * *

Robin didn't know what sorts of things he did the past, but he was pretty sure rushing headlong into a bandit raid with a book and no clue if he could use it wasn't the smartest thing he'd ever done.

He ducked out of the way as an axeman tried to smash his head in and raised a hand, breathing a sigh of relief as his magic responded and a weak bolt of lightning struck the bandit in the chest. The man staggered backwards; before he could recover a second lightning bolt to the head killed him instantly. Immediately Robin threw himself to one side, just in time to avoid a stab from the swordsman who'd been hidden behind the axeman's bulk. The next stab flew wide as it collided with Robin's lightning, the swordsman yelping as electricity surged down the blade into his arm; Robin's next spell hit him right in the heart and he dropped like a stone.

"How's your magic?" Levi's voice sounded from the other side of the street.

"It's fine. Or at least I remember how to use it." Robin turned and blinked at the sight of his brother standing beside a small pile of corpses. "Er...what happened here?" He'd been looking away for only a few moments!

"They tried to ambush us from behind," Levi said with a shrug. "Or charge us noisily from behind if you want to be more accurate."

"I...see..." He shuddered as he looked down at the dead bandits - the men he'd just killed had large burns where they'd been struck by lightning but the ones his brother killed were completely unmarked. It was like they'd randomly toppled over and died of no reason; some of them still had expressions of bloodthirsty anticipation on their faces.

He quickly turned away and forced himself back into the situation. "It sounds like someone's fighting the bandits in the town square so we should probably go help them. The innkeeper said the alleyways all connect to each other so we can double around and strike the bandits from the side while they're distracted." Belatedly he realized he was giving instructions to his brother, aka the one who was likely more powerful and actually had memories. "What do you think?"

"As good a plan as any." Levi frowned in the direction of the square, a strange expression on his face. "We should split up to cover more ground since there's probably more bandits in the side streets too. Will you be alright?"

"Yeah." Robin took a deep breath and ran his palm over the cover of his tome, feeling his magic spark at the connection. "Be careful."

Levi shot him what was probably supposed to be a smile but came out more like a grimace. "I should be the one saying that to you. Try not to faint again, alright?" He disappeared into a side street before Robin could respond.

That was probably for the best - Robin wasn't sure how he could have retorted seeing as he'd actually passed out earlier...and lost all his memories in the process.

* * *

Chrom dodged a fireball and buried Falchion in the mage's stomach, barely stopping as he ripped the blade free to parry a swinging axe. The curved edge of the axe skittered down Falchion with an earsplitting screech and hooked itself on the sword; the bandit yanked, trying to pull Chrom off balance, but Chrom moved with the pull and twisted his grip to force the axe away and stab Falchion through the man's neck.

An arrow thumped into the wall beside his right ear and he clamped down on the instinctive urge to flinch away, instead ducking to the right as another arrow flew through where he'd be had he gone the opposite way. A quick look around revealed the archer kneeling behind an overturned cart - no, not the archer but rather the archer's newly killed corpse. Frederick was already running towards another bandit lance-first and Chrom took advantage of the brief respite to catch his breath.

"How many of them _are_ there?" Lissa grumbled from where she crouched behind an abandoned fruit stand. "Is there a recruitment campaign for bandits or something?"

"Poor circumstances and desperation often drive good men to vile acts," Chrom said sternly as he dropped into a defensive stance - a bandit had noticed him and was charging forward with a raised sword. "And Plegian citizens are nothing if not desperate nowadays. For now we can only try to minimize the damage done on our side of the border."

His sister made an agreeable sound and the approaching bandit gaped, right before an apple smashed into the side of the swordsman's head. Chrom used the moment of distraction to close the distance and dispatch the man without trouble, shooting Lissa a bemused glance. Lissa shrugged and picked up another apple, tossing it into the air and using her staff to whack it at a bandit attempting to sneak up on Frederick.

The apple collided with a loud CRACK and the bandit toppled over, leaving both siblings gaping in astonishment and a young man blinking owlishly at the fruit bouncing around his feet. The glow was just beginning to fade from the Thunder tome in his hands and closer inspection of the fallen bandit revealed burns consistent with a lightning strike, confirming that Lissa hadn't just made her first kill with an apple.

"Oops. Sorry about that," Lissa said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it," the stranger said with an amused smile. "For what it's worth I think that's a really good idea, catching them off guard with something they don't expect. Just be careful when they- BEHIND YOU!"

Lissa scrambled away from the stand, narrowly avoiding the axe about to cleave her in two. Chrom rushed the bandit, who barely managed to get the axe back up in time to intercept Falchion's swing and stumbled back. A burst of lightning exploded in the vicinity of the man's legs, toppling him over and letting Chrom drive Falchion into his chest.

"You have my thanks." Chrom gave the mage a grateful smile as he scanned the area for more bandits, relaxing only when he saw Frederick approaching at a casual pace.

The knight nodded briefly in greeting, giving the mage a brief once-over. Apparently satisfied this man was no enemy, he turned to Chrom and gestured towards the largest street leading out of the square. "Milord, the bandits' leader appears to have barricaded himself in the chapel with at least two hostages."

Chrom scowled. "Damn them. We'll have to move carefully - rescuing those hostages is our top priority." He turned to the young man. "Will you help us?"

"Of course."

* * *

Chrom glared, actively trying to stare the bandit into oblivion as he reluctantly let Falchion drop to the ground. The others followed his example after a moment's pause, a silver lance, healing staff, and slightly worn tome joining the fabled blade in the dirt.

"There we go. Good job, sheepy."

The bandit grinned, greedy eyes drinking in the weapons. Chrom could practically see the man's brain calculating their worth, though it didn't seem like he recognized Falchion. It was just as well; let him think they were just another band of traveling warriors, albeit one slightly better equipped than the average mercenary band. He might let down his guard and give them a chance to catch him by surprise; he'd probably be more careful if he knew two of them were royalty and one an elite knight.

Behind Chrom one of the hostages, a young woman, sobbed quietly as Lissa attempted to comfort her. The other hostage lay on a bench beside the bandit - a baby who couldn't have been more than a few weeks old, squirming and staring curiously at the man towering above it. The threat was clear: pick up their weapons or make one aggressive move and the baby would die.

Chrom growled and glanced at his companions, seeing his frustration mirrored in their expressions. The mage - they hadn't had a chance to exchange names - in particular seemed to be searching for a way to turn things around, eyes moving rapidly around the clearing. Chrom appreciated the effort but in truth there was nothing he could see that might help - the four of them were on one side of a stone bridge while the bandit and baby were on the other. Anything they did gave the bandit ample warning to act.

Unless...perhaps the bandit might be willing to negotiate if he knew who he was dealing with? It was a long shot but worth a try; in any case, perhaps the mage could strike while the man's attention was on Chrom.

Chrom stepped forward and opened his mouth - only to freeze as a slim figure stepped out from behind the chapel.

The newcomer was identical to the first mage in appearance and almost identical in clothing, but the dark purple tome tucked under his arm wasn't nearly as reassuring. Chrom didn't know much about magic but it was common knowledge that purple tomes were exclusively for Dark magic, a forbidden arcane branch freely practiced only in Plegia. Still, this dark mage was very obviously the brother or at least close relative of the man who'd been helping them so he was probably an ally.

The dark mage glanced briefly at Chrom before turning to the bandit and raising his hands. An orb of dark magic formed between his palms and dripped down in long tendrils, disappearing into the ground like tainted rain. The bandit noticed the direction of Chrom's gaze, beginning to turn - and dark energy silently erupted from beneath his feet and wrapped around him, dissipating almost as abruptly as it'd appeared. His dead body remained standing a moment more before falling over, face still set in a triumphant grin.

Chrom winced. Plegia was a very secretive country and prided itself on its monopoly of Dark magic - he'd never witnessed dark mages in action before but now he suddenly had a better understanding of why they'd been so feared during the war. Frederick appeared to be thinking along the same lines, the wary knight turning to the newcomer with a guarded expression, and even Lissa appeared uncertain after the unsettling display.

"Levi!" The lightning-wielding mage yelled with a relieved smile. "Are you okay?" As if flipping a switch his words shocked the rest of them out of immobility; they retrieved their weapons while the baby's mother dashed across the bridge and grabbed her child, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It'll take more than this to kill me," the man - Levi - said with a snort, giving the fallen bandit a dismissive glance. "Who are your new friends?"

The mage opened his mouth, then closed it and gave them a quizzical look.

"My name is Chrom," Chrom said with a friendly smile - unnerving magic or not this man had proved himself a friend - and gestured at Lissa. "This is my sister Lissa."

"Heya!" Lissa waved.

"And this is Frederick." Seeing the knight still eyeing Levi suspiciously Chrom quickly added, "Or Frederick the Wary, as he is often known."

"A title I wear with pride," Frederick said solemnly, nodding at both mages. "But nonetheless, I believe you have both earned my thanks."

"It's nice to meet you; my name is Robin and this is my brother Levi." The newly named Robin smiled, seemingly unfazed by Frederick's careful scrutiny. Meanwhile Levi studied them thoughtfully, watching Chrom sheathe Falchion before glancing at the brand prominently displayed on Chrom's shoulder.

"You wouldn't happen to be the Exalt's siblings, would you?"

Robin blinked. "The Exalt? As in the ruler of Ylisse?"

Chrom ignored Frederick's sharp look. "Indeed we are, though I'd appreciate it if you don't treat us any differently because of it. I've never been one for formalities...and in any case unless I am mistaken neither of you are Ylissean." He kept his tone mild and carefully free of judgment - his personal opinion of Plegia had no bearing on ordinary Plegians, especially not ones who'd just provided great assistance in battle.

"No," Levi agreed amiably with a not-quite smile. "But we're taking a break from home for the moment. I heard the weather in Ylisse is rainy this time of the year." The last sentence was accompanied by an extremely over-exaggerated expression of wistfulness, startling Chrom into a laugh.

"You definitely heard correctly." Lissa made an equally exaggerated face of suffering and mimed shaking herself off like a dog. "Sleeping outside after it rains is the WORST. All those worms! Blaargh!"

Even Frederick chuckled at the princess's pout and opened his mouth, presumably to give another lecture on building character, but he was interrupted by the baby's mother suddenly pulling a startled Levi into a one-armed hug.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" The woman's tears were gone by now but her eyes still shone with moisture as she released Levi and pressed a small pouch into his hands. "I don't know how I can ever repay you. Please, at least take this small token and allow me to offer all of you a good meal."

"I...I apologize, but we'll have to decline," Levi said uncertainly, shooting Robin a pleading glance. Robin raised an eyebrow but stepped forward anyway.

"Indeed, it is getting late and we should be on the road. Worry not though, I promise he will take you up on your offer the next time we pass through. For now you should rest and concentrate on yourself and your child."

The woman hesitated, looking conflicted, but in the end motherly concern won out over determination to repay a stranger and once Levi promised to accept whatever was in the pouch she gave them all one more bow and hurried away.

Frederick cleared his throat once she was out of sight, looking up at the sky. "Milord, milady, may I suggest we get going as well? As Robin noted it is indeed growing late."

"Aye." Chrom stretched, grunting at the familiar ache of well-exercised muscles. "Robin, Levi, we will be returning to the capital if you'd like to travel with us."

Robin frowned. "Is that alright? We don't want to intrude..."

"It's fine," Lissa interjected. "The more the merrier, right?" She glanced at Chrom, who nodded in agreement, and Frederick, who simply watched with a neutral expression.

"Well...in that case we'd be happy to join you. Levi?"

Levi put away his tome and simply nodded.


	3. Forest Extermination

AN: Wow, this was...unexpectedly hard to write. I'm still not sure if I'm completely happy with it but I guess I'll leave it up to you guys to decide. Things are a bit slow here but the action should pick up next chapter!

* * *

:: Forest Extermination ::

* * *

_Bloody teeth snapped at armor-scaled flesh; flames licked hungrily at tattered wings, ashen smoke billowed into the sky, and the scent of blood hung heavy in the air. __The heavens cried. The earth raged. And before them all, humanity rose._

_You, defeat me? Don't make me laugh._

_"In the name of the exalted blood, I ask for the divine dragon's power!"_

_Come, show me the new depths to which mankind has fallen!_

___Shall we have a wager? Let us see just how high your precious humans can strike!_

_FOOLISH HUMANS...I WILL KILL YOU ALL!_

___He closed his eyes____ to the sound of screams - the screams of the forgotten, the wounded, ____the maddened, the dead._

Grima opened his eyes.

In his own time he had never slept, roaming the world at leisure in both vessel and body. The needs of his mortal shell had been satisfied by his power and his true body, the two connected through the linking of his soul. In this time, trapped in this form with most of his power out of reach, he had no choice but to rest. It was an unexpected consequence of having sealed away his power so thoroughly, but despite the inconvenience it helped greatly with his human facade.

Grima was willing to make many sacrifices and deal with countless inconveniences for the sake of his goal.

This would never be one of them.

He reached for the barrier which sealed away what remained of his strength and carefully released a tiny sliver, just enough to negate his body's requirement for sleep. Energy rushed through his limbs, chasing away the day's fatigue.

It was a negligible amount, a mere drop of water in the ocean that he once wielded, but in this world where a true dragon's power existed only in ancient memory he might as well have released a flood. The forest stilled; further down the road the two royal siblings looked around warily as silence fell all around them. Frederick shuddered in his sleep, the human's senses rebelling at their proximity to the source of such power. Robin rolled closer to Grima as his blood instinctively reached for its master, the fingers of his Marked hand brushing Grima's coat. The earth shuddered as it roused from its hibernation, ready to serve its long forgotten kin.

Then the heavens roared and Grima almost laughed at the flare of an all-too-familiar power, tearing apart the seams of time and space.

* * *

Lucina.

He knew her. Oh yes, he knew her. His vessel had witnessed the early stages of her life, her growth from the tiny infant in her mother's arms into the small child who often doodled in the margins of her notes when she thought her tutor wasn't looking. In the days immediately following his awakening he'd watched the humans turn towards the girl who struggled to wield a sword that was too big for her, watched as the years passed and she grew into the sword with a speed born of necessity. He'd watched her instinctively grow distant from the daughter of the man who was rumored to have betrayed her beloved father, unwittingly giving him his most loyal servant. He'd watched her rally her companions with her father's charisma but none of his optimism, watched her lunge towards the dead while she flinched away from the living.

And now he watched as she jumped in front of him and dispatched several charging Risen with quick stabs of her blade, no doubt believing she'd just saved a human mage from what would've been a messy death.

"Thanks," he said, seeing no need to convince her otherwise. Lucina simply nodded before sprinting towards a small knot of Risen a few yards away; Grima rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm and reached out his senses to check on how the other humans were faring.

Robin and Chrom had teamed up and were swiftly cutting a swath through the undead horde with magic and blade, already beginning to demonstrate signs of the legendary team they would eventually become. Frederick stood firmly in front of Lissa, the two of them surrounded by dissipating purple mist. On the opposite side of the clearing the newly arrived Sully and Virion fought furiously against a Risen chieftain. None of them appeared to be having much trouble, so Grima turned his attention away and back to the one stubborn human who'd made his downfall her ultimate goal.

Although at the moment she seemed more intent on exterminating the forest than exterminating his life.

Grima shook his head in bemusement as he watched yet another tree crash to the ground, having fallen victim to Falchion's swings. Blessed or not, Falchion was an unwieldy blade. It was no coincidence that both Chrom and Lucina were notorious for inflicting impossible amounts of collateral damage during training.

In a rare moment of mercy he decided the forest had been subjected to enough torment for the night and cast his Flux spell, carefully regulating his power so that only the tiniest amount escaped before sending it deep into the ground. His magic spread in long tendrils, seeking out any remaining Risen in the immediate area and quickly snuffing them out. Robin's Thunder spell crashed into a log and set it on fire. Virion's arrow flew directly at Frederick, who managed to slice it in half before he was shot in the face. And, to Grima's faint amusement, there were two near identical yelps as Chrom and Lucina both stumbled and fell, overbalanced by their respective Falchions swinging through unexpectedly empty air.

Robin looked around the suddenly Risen-free clearing with a slightly stunned expression. "Um. Levi? Was that you?"

Grima nodded, putting on a sheepish smile as he walked over. "Sorry, I thought it'd be better to get rid of all of them at once. The spell took a bit of time to prepare, though..."

"I was wondering why you weren't fighting," Frederick said with a calculating stare. "That was an impressive display of magic; you must be quite powerful."

Grima tilted his head and shrugged, not bothering to affirm or deny it. Chrom chose that moment to rejoin them, Sully and Virion at his heels. Sully shot Grima and Robin a curious look; Virion simply smiled and leaned on his bow.

"I believe that was the last of those creatures." Chrom looked around at the small group, his stare lingering on Robin and Levi. "Well done, all of you. And..." Here he trailed off and turned to Lucina, who stood silently near the edge of the clearing.

"Um..." After a moment of awkward silence Lissa walked forward and clumsily bowed. "I never got to thank you...for before. So...thank you. You were very brave."

"You saved my sister's life," Chrom added with a smile. "My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?"

"...You may call me Marth." Lucina crossed her arms, a perfect image of a mysterious masked swordsman. Grima quickly reined in his amusement - amusement at both the choice of name and the attempt at a male voice - before it showed on his face.

"Marth? After the heroic king of old? You certainly fight like a hero." Chrom glanced at the sword by Lucina's side, though it was probably too dark for his human eyes to make out any details if his lack of reaction was anything to go by. "Where did you learn your way with a sword?"

Lucina shuddered ever so slightly and turned away. "I'm not here to talk about me," she said with a faint tremble in her voice. "This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude. You have been warned."

"Huh? What's teetering where now?" Lissa frowned as Lucina ignored her and walked away. "Hey, wait!"

Robin chuckled at Lissa's pout, though his smile quickly became thoughtful. "Not much for conversation, is he?"

Grima absently nodded, only half-listening to the humans talk as he reached out with his mind and carefully sought out Lucina. Safely away from them - or so she thought - the princess had abandoned her usual poise and practically ran through the woods in her rush to get away, tears already beginning to stain the inside of her mask.

He shook his head in disbelief. The fragility of the human race would never cease to amaze him.


	4. A Small Favor

A/N: Sorry about the lack of Grima POV in this chapter, but I threw in some Lucina POV so hopefully that makes up for it. Here is also where Grima's story will begin to deviate from Robin's story and the game in general.

I'd also like to send a virtual hug to everyone who reviewed, followed, and/or faved (even if it's only figuratively). Thank you, you guys are great :)

* * *

:: A Small Favor ::

* * *

"Healers of the mind?" Chrom frowned. "I can't say I know of any, but I'm sure you can find someone if you ask around. May I inquire as to why...?"

"There was an incident not very long ago that caused me to lose some of my memories," Robin said half-truthfully. The 'Shepherds' - as they'd introduced their group as over a breakfast of leftover bear meat - were nice enough but he was not entirely comfortable with revealing the true extent of his memory loss. "Levi's been doing his best to help but I was hoping to find a way to reverse the amnesia."

"You should be careful," Lissa jumped in with an uncharacteristically solemn expression. "Only super powerful healers can affect the mind and even then there's always a catch of some kind. We're not supposed to mess with brains since chances are we'll probably end up making things worse."

"I...suppose that makes sense..." Robin sighed. Noticing everyone's concerned expressions, he put on a cheerful smile. "Thank you. I'm sure I'll be fine; I was just asking just in case."

It was the afternoon after the skirmish in the forest and their small group was on the road once more. The knight and archer who'd helped them - Sully and Virion, Chrom had introduced them as - had gone to check on some nearby villages, leaving the two pairs of siblings and one knight quickly making their way to the capital. To everyone's relief the previous night's devastation seemed to have been limited to the forest, with the plains around them obviously untouched by earthquakes or meteors, though Robin had to wonder how such a thing was even possible.

He'd expressed his disbelief to Levi, who'd simply said "It's magic." Even now, after hours of thinking, Robin couldn't think of anything to refute that.

"We should arrive in Ylisstol before dark," Chrom said, waving cheerfully at a passing farmer. "Do you have any plans...?"

"We were thinking about getting a room and just relaxing for a while." Robin glanced at Levi for confirmation. When his brother nodded he continued, "We'll stay for a few days, maybe do some jobs for money before moving on. See where the road takes us and stuff."

"I see..." Chrom nodded, looking deep in thought. Then, "Would the two of you like to join the Shepherds?"

Robin blinked. "What?"

The prince hesitated, then nodded with a determined expression. "Would you like to join us? I realize this is a lot to ask and of course you need not answer immediately, but know that our doors will always be open. That you are not Ylissean is not a problem as long as you swear you mean no harm to the halidom; I will vouch for both of you myself."

Further down the road Frederick turned with a mild frown but didn't say anything; meanwhile Lissa had perked up and bounced lightly on the soles of her feet, looking eagerly between Robin and Levi.

Robin opened his mouth, then shut it and frowned. He had no memories and despite Levi's presence often found himself lost in a world that seemed much too big; for him the thought of joining the Shepherds was a welcome one. But on the other hand, there was Levi - his twin brother, who'd been with him from the moment he woke up. Was it fair of Robin to force Levi to stay in Ylisse? Robin wasn't blind - he could see the way the Shepherds sometimes unconsciously tensed around Levi and their uneasiness at Levi's display of dark magic, both at the town and in the forest. Dark magic was a uniquely Plegian art, Levi had told him that first night after the fight against the bandits. It had been used to great effect against Ylisse during the war and many Ylisseans were naturally wary of it, especially in the hands of someone as skilled as Levi.

As much as Robin wanted to accept he didn't want Levi to feel obligated to remain in a place where he could very well be shunned by a lot of the populace.

"May we have some time to think about it?"

"Of course." Chrom smiled reassuringly and quickened his pace to catch up with Frederick. Lissa followed him a moment later, leaving the brothers walking side-by-side.

"You're interested in joining," Levi said once the royal siblings were out of earshot. It wasn't a question.

"...I am," Robin admitted. "But what about you? I don't want to force you into anything and-"

"Don't worry about it." Levi waved a hand as though brushing the concern aside. "I've actually been considering settling down in Ylisse, at least for a little while. The atmosphere here is...very different from Plegia. In any case, Plegia is hardly the best of places right now with the king drafting all dark mages into the army."

"The king..._what_?"

"Did I not tell you?" Levi frowned at Robin's nonplussed expression. "Apparently not. Rumors say that King Gangrel is trying to start another war with Ylisse. I don't know how much truth there is in that, but soldiers have been going around the villages rounding up anyone with magical power and testing them for abilities in dark magic. Personally I'd prefer to avoid being tied down by military duties..." Here he paused and glanced at the three Ylisseans walking ahead of them. "...regardless of what nation I'm serving."

"...So you won't accept, then?" Robin said softly, feeling his heart sink. His emotions must have shown on his face, since Levi quickly hurried to reassure him.

"No, but that won't mean I'll be leaving either. It would be good to take a break from traveling for a while, and in any case I've rather missed living in a city." He grinned as though enjoying a private joke. "If you really want to join them don't let me stop you."

Robin nodded uncertainly, studying Levi's face. "If you say so..."

* * *

Lucina garnered a few curious glances as she walked through the city gates - most of them drawn to Falchion's sheath, which she had wrapped in strips of cloth until it resembled nothing so much as a bulky tube with a hilt sticking out of it. Perhaps she was being ridiculous but she couldn't risk rumors spreading of a stranger wielding a second Falchion, at least not at the moment.

She had done her best to prepare herself before traveling back, obsessively reading all of Laurent's books in an effort to understand the old world and lessen the shock of immersing herself in it. None of her studies had been enough to prepare her for the sight of a bustling Ylisstol filled with beautiful buildings and smiling citizens with the Exalt's Castle rising above it all, its walls pristine and unmarred.

Ylisstol was...alive.

Lucina shuddered slightly as she gazed at the flag billowing proudly at the top of the castle, the brand on it identical to the one in her eye. Had it only been a few days ago that she sprinted across the ashen debris-field that surrounded that very same castle, hacking her way through a horde of Risen as she and her companions struggled to fight their way south in search of the Outrealm Gate? And barely more than a day had passed since she'd arrived in this world, yet already she had rescued her Aunt Lissa, fought beside members of the legendary Shepherds, and exchanged words with her father.

Lucina had always been someone who never hesitated to take action and her speed in battle was exceeded only by the wings of Cynthia and Gerome's mounts, yet right now all she wanted to do was scream at the world to _stop_. If events moved so quickly in this time of the past how could she keep up as it raced towards its final destination?

No. _No_. She was here to make sure that final destination would never be an option. So what if her head whirled with new sensations and buried emotions? So what if she couldn't keep up with the events of this time stream? She didn't need to keep pace with them, merely seek out the critical points and strike. If it meant keeping herself distant and aloof so be it. She wasn't here to write the past, only to erase the future. There was no need for her to immerse herself to such an extent again until it was absolutely necessary, and in the meantime she would try to adjust to this past world.

She nodded to herself, steeling her momentarily wavering nerves, only to frown as her thoughts naturally went back to the battle in the forest. She hadn't thought much of it before but...that mage she had rescued from the Risen, the mage who'd managed to wipe out all nearby Risen with a single spell without seeming tired. Who had he been? She'd initially believed him to be Sir Robin, her father's famed tactician, yet while Robin had been a great mage she had never heard of him wielding dark magic. Sir Robin had likely been the other mage who'd been fighting alongside her father, the man who wielded lightning.

A close relative? Perhaps twin brothers, if their similar appearances were anything to go by. Lucina normally did her best to avoid thinking too much about the past, especially when it came to Robin, yet now she dove into the fuzzy memories of her early childhood as she attempted to figure out more about the dark mage from last night.

Robin's children - Lucina quashed the familiar pang of guilt that rose at the thought of Morgan - had never mentioned an uncle, nor could Lucina remember ever meeting Robin's brother. Perhaps he had died before she was old enough to remember him? Robin would hardly have talked about a dead relative with his lord's young daughter after all. And in any case, Lucina knew practically nothing about most of the Shepherds outside of her immediate relatives. That she didn't know about Robin's brother shouldn't have been odd.

Yet if the battle in the forest was anything to go by the man was likely a member of the Shepherds and wielded magic with a skill greater than Robin, who in her time had been known as one of Ylisse's greatest mages. Surely she should've heard of him somewhere?

Immersed in her thoughts, Lucina found herself caught off guard as she turned a corner to find herself face to face with the subject of her musings.

The man blinked at her owlishly, recognition sparking in his eyes. "You...Marth, was it?"

"Yes..." Lucina inwardly winced as her voice came out higher than even her usual tone; she coughed and continued in 'Marth's' voice. "And you are..."

"I'm Levi." The newly named Levi smiled, holding out a hand. After a moment's hesitation Lucina shook it with her firmest grip. If Levi noticed the slimness of her hand he didn't say anything and merely continued, "Ah, you actually ran into me at the perfect time. If it's not too much, could I ask you a favor?"

"A favor?" Lucina was immediately on guard - if there was one thing she knew about this time period, it was that asking favors of complete strangers was a rare thing unless it involved fighting.

Once again Levi turned her expectations upside down. "My brother was recently admitted into the Shepherds," he said with a fond smile. "I'm thinking about surprising him with a sword as a congratulatory present but I'm afraid I don't have much experience in buying such things."

"Is that so..." Lucina looked around, noticing for the first time the workshops which dominated this part of the city. Silently she digested Levi's words - Robin had been admitted into the Shepherds, yet it was implied that Levi had not. Perhaps she had never heard of him in the future simply because he wasn't a Shepherd?

"Yes. He's been thinking about learning swordplay for a while but never really got around to it." Levi rolled his eyes. "He keeps saying we don't have the time or money to hire a teacher. Personally I think he's just lazy. If I give him a sword he has no excuse for slacking off now."

"I see." Truth be told Lucina had little experience in picking out quality blades herself, a side effect of exclusively wielding Falchion that she'd never had reason to rectify. She thought back to the research she'd done, trying to remember if there had been any books that dealt with weapons. "Will you be ordering a custom weapon?"

Levi hummed thoughtfully. "I believe it'd be best to go with something already made for now. There's no use dropping good gold for an expensive blade only to have it break because Robin doesn't know how to use it." He shook his head with a sigh and shot her a pleading look. "I apologize, but could you help me pick out something suitable?"

She shouldn't get involved. She should keep her distance until interference was critical.

But Levi wasn't a Shepherd and this was a minor thing at most. It would do Robin no good if his sword broke in battle because Levi chose a weapon that she could've warned him away from. Perhaps it would be alright?

Levi's grin when Lucina nodded made her heart leap and she determinedly turned her thoughts way from the small girl with an identical grin - the girl she'd last seen being swept away in the claws of an undead wyvern.


	5. Settling In

AN: Now that classes have started updates won't be as fast as they were before but I'll do my best to post at least once or twice every few weeks. Also, I just realized I'm better at writing Grima than I am at writing Robin, Chrom, and Lucina. I'm not sure how I feel about that...

To the review labeled 'Guest' - Grima x Lucina OTP! Thank you, now I can't stop laughing xD

...err, guess I should put this out just in case. There will be no Grima x Lucina in this story.

* * *

:: Settling In ::

* * *

Grima never had any reason to examine the bits of sharpened metal that most humans preferred as weapons, if only because the vast majority posed him no threat. The only weapons which truly stood out to him were those forged to indestructibility or imbued with great power, weapons a human might call 'legendary' or 'heroic'. For a moment he honestly considered simply purchasing a random sword and using his power to temper the blade until its might was on par with Falchion, if only to save himself the tedium of testing weapon after weapon until he encountered one that was perhaps a little less flimsy than the rest.

Just in time he remembered he was trying to encourage his vessel to grow and become stronger, something that would never happen if he coddled Robin all the time, and resigned himself to spending the rest of the day shopping. Perhaps it was for the best that he was alone in this world; if any of his kin saw him right now...

Though he had managed to rope Lucina into helping, so perhaps he could use this chance to gather information?

"What are your thoughts on this one?" Grima picked up a sword and carefully gave it an experimental swing. He had severely overestimated the strength needed to use a sword earlier, which had resulted in the blacksmith evicting both of them from the store while the blacksmith's apprentice gaped at the sword embedded hilt-deep in the ceiling.

The ceiling sword must have been very well-crafted to have sliced straight through the thick wood, at least according to Lucina, so at least Grima now had a vague idea of what humans considered 'well-crafted'.

Lucina took the sword from him and weighed it in her palm for a moment before stepping back and performing some simple moves that Grima recognized as an altered version of Chrom's daily warm-up routine before training.

"The balance is very slightly off," the princess said with a small frown. "It is not readily noticeable and I doubt it'll make much difference, but I also question the wisdom of allowing your brother to grow accustomed to an unbalanced blade regardless of how slight it may be."

"I see." Grima turned back to the racks lined up against the wall.

Lucina was a perfectionist. Duly noted.

* * *

Having finally delivered the sword to a surprised Robin and wished him luck on his first official venture as a Shepherd, Grima rented a room at an inn, ignored the maid's unsubtle attempts at drawing him into a mating dance, and unceremoniously tossed his coat onto the bed. The fabric clanged upon impact, courtesy of the small pouch of coins that Robin had insisted he take. Robin had reasoned that with their journey to Regna Ferox being funded by Emmeryn it would be better if Grima used most of Robin's newly acquired money - a monthly stipend received by all Shepherds - to begin a new life in Ylisstol.

Regna Ferox...the inhabitants of the icy land had been among the last to fall, their famed resilience and prowess proving unflappable in the face of extinction. Even so, he still remembered in vivid detail the shock and horror on Feroxi faces when confronted with the reanimated corpse of their beloved West Khan - Basilio, was it? Robin had greatly respected the man and indeed even Grima had admired the way the once-Basilio Risen had crashed through the human ranks, his mere appearance inciting the passionate warriors into careless rage and allowing the Risen horde to finally overwhelm them.

Perhaps a sliver of Robin's long-dead persona remained within him, for although Grima had intended to turn Basilio into one of his greatest pawns he'd instead allowed the body to fade away on the ruins of the Khan's stronghold and never called upon it again.

Grima frowned at the mirror which hung over the dresser, watching the way Robin's dark eyes glared accusingly back. There had been so many missed opportunities...he had been euphoric at being awake again and moved much more hastily than he should've, acting on whims simply because he _could_ and celebrating his freedom like a hatchling who'd ventured from the nest for the first time.

But no matter. Although he hadn't been able to merge with his younger vessel he was still here and had established a connection to the Shepherds as his own person. The river of time always favored its original course but it was not immune to influence, especially if that influence worked to streamline its flow to a more efficient pace. Hopefully with his guidance the Grima who still slept deep within the Dragon's Table would bring humanity to its inevitable conclusion all the more faster.

He shot a wry smile at his reflection before turning away to the bag he'd dropped on the floor. All humans practiced a trade of some sort in order to earn a living; Robin had been Ylisse's chief tactician and Chrom's right hand man, a position he was almost certainly headed towards in this derailed timeline as well. Grima was content to give him free rein among the Shepherds - how could the vessel mature if the master worked beside it? - but this left Grima to find his own trade, if only to keep Robin and Chrom from becoming suspicious.

After parting ways from Lucina he had stopped by a bookstore and purchased several blank tomes, a pen, and some bottles of ink. He now dumped these objects on the table and, picking up the pen, reached for the first tome. Grima's own Flux tome had been created solely from his power; it was an extension of himself and if anyone else attempted to use it they could very well go mad, Robin included. Naturally he would have to modify his technique if he wished to create tomes for human use but unlike ordinary weapons this was an area where Grima, a creature born of magic who resided within the body of a powerful mage, was very much at home.

Thoughts turning to the red-haired boy who'd often followed Robin around like a lost puppy, Grima turned to the first page and began to write.

_The four directions convene under the biased hand. Such is the nature of Elwind._


	6. Companionship

AN: A question - would you guys rather have each chapter be either completely Grima-side or completely Robin-side and alternate between them or have chapters which include both Grima and Robin but in smaller sections for each (like this chapter)?

Sorry about the long wait, and a big thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and/or faved!

* * *

:: Companionship :::

* * *

If Maribelle was to be honest, she did not enjoy working in an official capacity when at the capital. The work itself was no trouble (though she might occasionally catch herself skimming the more wordy articles) but there was an unsettling feeling that she couldn't quite shake whenever she sat herself behind the large mahogany desk which dominated her father's room in the castle. Perhaps it was simply a product of her childhood, memories of her father and tutors sitting behind similar desks causing her to associate the object with an abstract concept of the unattainable and awe-inspiring. As someone who had yet to match her father's achievements it was only natural that she feel unworthy when at the man's desk.

She scrawled her name on the latest item, approving a motion to open more land for farming in her father's southern territories, then folded and sealed it with wax. With this addition the pile of finished papers rose just slightly higher than the pile still awaiting her perusal, so with no small amount of relief Maribelle slipped out from behind the desk and grabbed her parasol. It was a lovely day and a nice cup of tea in the gardens never failed to lift her spirits.

Easily resisting the urge to hum in a most undignified manner, Maribelle exited the study and walked off with the faintest bounce in her step. A quick detour took her through the public courtyard, where commoners waited to talk with clerks sitting at various tables, and as usual her walk slowed ever so slightly as she watched them. The other nobles often chuckled at her fascination, wondered what she saw in the unwashed masses, yet she simply couldn't help herself. There was a...spark in the way the lowborn spent their lives, a spark that was absent in the grand halls and courtly decorum of the higher classes. It lightened her heart to watch them interact and she often wondered how it would feel to stand before them as...not an _equal_, but perhaps a comrade of sorts.

With a fond smile she watched as several children chased each other through the crowd, their parents only half-heartedly trying to corral them back in line. One of the children stumbled and almost fell, only to be caught by a young man who'd just turned away from one of the tables. The man quickly set the child back on their feet and murmured something; the child laughed sheepishly and ran off again as the man shook his head in bemusement and walked away.

The man's path took him near Maribelle, who found her good mood rapidly evaporating.

That mop of untidy black hair...that unsightly coat...

"You _dare_?" Maribelle hissed, marching over with her parasol raised like a sword. "Lord Chrom personally vouched for your worthiness and this is how you repay him, by reneging upon your oath when not even a day has passed?"

The commoner looked at her blankly, which only served to raise her ire. How _dare_ he spit on their prince's kindness, slink away from his first mission like a yellow-bellied coward and have the _nerve_ to show his face as though he did nothing wrong? If he believed her to be a helpless, easily manipulated damsel he was in for a rude awakening; Maribelle hefted her parasol, fully intending to lash some sense into the cretin before having him arrested for treason.

"I think you're mistaking me for someone else," the man said slowly, a single backwards step taking him out of her immediate range. "I'll guess and say you've met my brother, Robin?"

"Your brother?" Maribelle hesitated, looking over the commoner with a critical eye. The resemblance to Chrom's newest Shepherd was uncanny but there were a few odd details out of place; his hair appeared to be of a slightly longer length, his skin paler and his voice deeper. And Lissa had indeed expressed disappointment at Robin's twin deciding not to join - Maribelle hadn't thought much of it at the time, having been focused on lightening the princess's mood and helping her prepare for the journey north.

Oh gods help her, she had just accused an innocent man - _two_ innocent men - of traitorous actions. Maribelle quickly lowered her parasol and offered an apologetic nod. "I sincerely apologize; I have indeed mistaken you for your brother. I am Maribelle of Themis, companion to Princess Lissa. If there is anything I may do to atone for my blunder you need only say the word."

"Don't worry about it." The man smiled awkwardly. "My name's Levi. It's nice to meet you, Maribelle."

"A pleasure." Maribelle studied Levi, noting the tomes in a book strap slung over his shoulder and the freshly written merchant's permit in his hand. Of course - Robin's status as a Shepherd did not extend to his brother, so it was only natural that Levi must find a means of livelihood elsewhere. Well, even if she was forgiven she could hardly forget her actions so easily. A noble must always hold themselves to a higher standard, and the memory of her mistake would linger over her if she did nothing to remedy it. "If nothing else, please allow me to assist in your business. A dear friend of mine is in need of a new tome; would you be willing meet him?" She had noticed Ricken's Wind tome beginning to fall into disrepair; it was only the least she could do as both a noble and a friend.

Levi looked amused, obviously seeing her poorly veiled intentions - he was quite perceptive for a commoner - but as she expected the prospect of doing business with the nobility won out in the end. Lowborn entrepreneurs were always eager to find a foothold in the upper classes.

"I guess I have time." He gave her a smaller but more genuine smile. "Lead the way, ma'am."

* * *

_"Master, it's as you suspected." The servant approached the dais and bowed low, her features obscured by the unnatural darkness within her cowl. "The Outrealm Gate has been activated and the princess is on the move. What are your orders?"_

_"Wait for them at the Gate and do as you see fit."_

_"Yes sir!" _

_The girl bowed again and hurried away, leaving him alone once more. Or relatively alone, as the case might be._

_"I presume you heard that?"_

_"I did." A robed figure, only slightly taller than the girl who'd just left, emerged from an antechamber at the end of the hall. Two dark eyes peered out from behind the bone mask which covered his entire face. "Do you want me to go too?"_

_"No."_

_The boy frowned beneath his mask, surprise and disapproval almost tangible in the air. "With all due respect, are you sure Morgan can handle it? After what happened last time she could be compromised."_

_"Perhaps."_

_"Master, if she fails-"  
_

_"There will be no consequence to me." A pale hand stretched out in invitation, palm turned upwards but tilted just enough to reveal a hint of the brand on the other side. "Your powers are needed elsewhere."__  
_

_After a moment's hesitation the boy nodded and approached the dais, slowly reaching out until their fingers brushed. Black energy erupted from the point of contact and the ruins around them trembled, stones shaking free of their foundations and crashing to the ground._

_"Master Gri-"_

"UP AND AT 'EM! Class is in session and Teach's in the house! C'mon Chrom, it's fightin' time!"

Robin grumbled and firmly jammed his thin pillow onto his head as the sound of Shepherds in the morning erupted around him. It was their third day on the road and already he'd discovered that most of his new companions tended to be very energetic in the hours before sunrise. As a side effect he'd also discovered that he himself was _not_ very energetic in the hours before sunrise and nothing short of a full-blown Risen attack could take him from completely asleep to completely awake in less than ten minutes.

Though even if they weren't actively attacking he still had the Risen to thank for helping him wake up. After running into a small band of the creatures on the outskirts of Ylisstol Robin had found himself falling naturally into a commanding position, coming up with an attack plan on the spot and helping the Shepherds eliminate the enemy with little difficulty. As a result they were quickly beginning to view him as 'one of them' instead of just 'the new guy'. Cue the ear-shattering wake up calls and early morning training sessions.

Upon testing the sword Levi had given him Robin had discovered he had a good grasp of the basics and simply needed to strengthen those skills while developing his own style. Although Chrom had been more than willing to help the prince's fighting style was one that had been developed with Falchion in mind, relying heavily on strength and powerful, relentless strikes to bring an enemy to their knees. Robin wasn't as strong as Chrom, nor did he wield an unbreakable sword that could destroy practically anything, so instead Sully and Stahl had volunteered to include him in their morning routines.

"Good morning," Stahl said with a cheerful smile as Robin finally stumbled to join the two cavaliers a few minutes later, bleary-eyed and smothering a yawn. "We were just warming up. Want me to show you some stretches?"

"That would be appreciated, thank you." Robin looked around, noticing the other Shepherds engaged in either their own training or various miscellaneous tasks. "Is it normal to spend so much time in camp?"

"We don't really do the whole 'march at dawn and rest at dusk' kind of thing," Sully chimed in from where she was doing pull-ups on a tree branch. "Traveling together like this is abnormal in the first place. We're ahead of schedule so there's no reason to let ourselves go soft. Speaking of which, where's your brother?"

Robin glanced up to see Sully giving him an expectant look. "What?"

"Your brother. Y'know - handsome, sexy ass, looks exactly like you?" Sully dropped to the ground and grinned at Robin's red-faced spluttering. "I'm surprised he didn't come, this being your first real mission and all."

"Levi didn't want to join the Shepherds," Robin managed, wondering if there was any protocol for being told your identical twin had a 'sexy ass'. How had Sully even managed to see Levi's butt with that bulky coat in the way? And okaaaay, that was the last time he'd ever think about anything like that again. Bolganone, meet brain.


	7. Dragon's Tome

AN: The discrepancy between my chapter numbers and the given chapter numbers was beginning to drive me crazy so the chapters have titles now. I'm not really the best when it comes to naming things but hopefully they're not _too_ bad...

So it appears the general consensus is that a mixture of Robin and Grima's POVs is the best. That being said, this chapter does not contain Robin...but hey, it's Grima. Close enough.

* * *

:: Dragon's Tome ::

* * *

The worn cobblestone path was familiar beneath his feet, the sounds of training even more so. Although his vessel was theoretically only the tactician of the Shepherds, an elite force that was completely separate from the main army, during wartime Robin had often watched the training of ordinary Ylissean troops in order to best adapt his strategies.

Even during peacetime the training grounds had been one of Robin's favorite places in the castle, second only to his own personal rooms. The tactician had often came here to escape the endless paperwork and social posturing which awaited him indoors; after all, who would dare tell him off if he wished to observe the skills of the troops?

The shadows obscured him from human sight as he leaned against a tree and watched them train, vaguely amused at the sight of spellcasters wielding the tomes he had made. Maribelle had been insistent on apologizing for 'almost' arresting him a few days ago and, upon seeing the quality of Ricken's new Elwind tome, had dropped hints about 'Levi's' skill to the quartermaster of the mage battalion. Fortunately he had managed to keep his own power from seeping into his work; none of the humans appeared to be in danger of losing their minds.

He had to admit the sight of magical elements soaring above the ranks of armed soldiers was rather nostalgic for not just his vessel but also himself, bringing to mind the orderly armies which had confronted him after his awakening. Of course they hadn't remained orderly for long once confronted with his Risen, but it was a pleasant memory nonetheless.

"Hyaaa!"

"Nrrraaaaagh!"

"Hnnnnnnnnnnngh!"

Though for some reason human exertions were often accompanied by sounds reminiscent of extremely painful bowel movements, which was slightly less pleasant.

He waited until the humans were engaged in a particularly strenuous - and loud - exercise before letting his shadows fall just enough to reveal his form to anyone within a short distance. "How long do you plan to stay there?"

There was a hastily muffled yelp and the branches above his head rustled loudly. After a beat of silence the leaves parted slightly to reveal a pair of human eyes staring down at him in disbelief.

"W-w-what...who..._what_..."

Grima tilted his head back and met the man's stare with an even gaze as he waited for the human to stop spluttering. All things considered it took a surprisingly short amount of time; the Ylisseans hadn't even finished their latest drill before there was the soft sound of an arrow being drawn from its quiver.

"Who are you?" the man hissed, his words punctuated by the creak of an iron bow.

In answer Grima pulled off his glove and held up his hand, watching in faint amusement as the man froze and scrambled to lower his weapon.

"I apologize, sir. I didn't realize...I never thought..." The man quickly fell silent as Grima waved his still-gloved hand in a dismissive manner.

"Who do you work for?"

"I...I am from Plegia, milord, and-"

"Who."

"...Lord Validar, sir."

Validar. Grima quickly skimmed the Grimleal's mind, seeking out the details of the assassination plan. This man, apparently one of the Grimleal's better infiltrators, had been sent ahead to map out the interior of the castle and set up traps. Aside from Validar he was in fact the _onl__y_ Grimleal among the assassins, with the rest being various mercenaries and thieves who'd been hired for large amounts of gold. One particular thief with orange hair stood out among the memories; Grima lingered briefly on his image before turning towards Validar, who had entered the city disguised as a traveling scholar and rented a room in an inn far from the castle.

It would have to do. The shadows wrapped around the Grimleal and unceremoniously deposited the man in an abandoned alley nearby. Grima pulled on his glove and followed a moment later to find the disoriented man lying dazed on the ground.

"Rhett."

The man - Rhett, as his mind had supplied - jumped and scrambled to his knees, pressing his forehead low against the ground as he shook with barely concealed fear and awe. Grima barely resisted the urge to sigh.

"Take me to Validar."

* * *

Validar had just settled down with a treatise on shadows in the human mind when there was a swift knock at his door. Really, he'd dismissed the hired hands with explicit instructions to not contact him until he sent them a sign. One would believe that having their pick of Ylisse's treasures - not to mention the sizable amount of gold already paid to them by Plegia - would inspire them to perfect obedience. Humans were truly the most unreliable of creatures.

"Enter," he said as he carefully closed his book, not wanting to get blood on the pages in the event that a..._firmer_ form of discipline was required. The door creaked open and Validar raised an eyebrow as a visibly shaken Rhett slipped in and dropped into a shaky bow. Before he could open his mouth, however, another young man stepped inside and closed the door with a soft click.

The stranger lowered his hood and Validar stared, for once at a loss for words.

"You are...Robin, am I correct?" He fought to keep his voice impassive, though it was difficult to control his rising excitement. Though he had managed to find his son not long after that _woman_ fled, he had been too occupied with the Grimleal and the war to do much more than keep an eye on the orphanage. It was something he'd come to regret as Robin grew up and disappeared from his sight; he'd had no clue of the boy's whereabouts for the past few years.

And now here was that very boy, standing calmly before him. Truly fate smiled upon him!

"...I am Robin," the boy said in a quiet voice that made Validar's hair stand on end. "But he is not me."

A pulse of magic emanated from Validar's pocket; with a gasp he quickly retrieved his prized possession from the depths of his robes, taking out the signature tome of the Grimleal's leader. Rhett dropped to his knees and clasped his hands; Validar resisted the urge to do the same as he reverently cradled the slim book while the boy - the boy who was so much more - simply stood there with an impassive expression.

The tome was the treasure of the Grimleal, a priceless artifact passed down from generation to generation. It could only be wielded by those who held the favor of Grima, yet the Fell Dragon's slumber meant none had been able to read it for over a thousand years. It was essentially the crown of the Grimleal's leader, an object important for symbolic reasons yet lacking a practical use...until now.

Validar watched rapturously as the eyes of Grima emblazoned on the cover glowed with an unworldly light and instinctively knew he could now read the once indecipherable words within its pages at leisure. Grima's Truth, the tome written and blessed by the Fell Dragon himself, was alive once more.

The light faded and suddenly the world appeared dull, the furniture faded and the sunlight weak. Validar kept a tight grip on the tome as he stood and bowed as low as he could.

"I will uphold your promise," he fervently vowed, unable to keep his fingers from tracing the tome's spine. "This I solemnly swear as leader of the Grimleal and your humble servant."

"There is no need to bow."

Validar hastily straightened up. His god gave him an unreadable look before drawing out two chairs and pushing one of them in Rhett's direction.

"There is much I have to tell you," Grima said as he sat down, motioning for them to do the same. Rhett all but threw himself into the offered chair while Validar hastened back to his seat and leaned forward, trying not to appear too eager but not caring if he failed.

"How much do you know about the events of my first awakening one thousand years ago?"


	8. Flames and Ruins

A/N: Good news! I finally decided on Robin's future wife (she hasn't been recruited yet and Morgan has an older sibling, but that's all I'm gonna say). I'll also admit that when I first began this fic I was working with only a general idea of Grima's backstory and just kind of winged it as I wrote. Yesterday I finally sat down and drafted Grima's story in detail as well as a basic timeline of events for this fic, so hopefully the chapters will be more streamlined from this point on.

As usual, a giant thank you to everyone who reviewed, faved and followed!

* * *

:: Flames and Ruins ::

* * *

Upon hearing that the Shepherds were going to accompany Chrom in the arena Robin had been expecting them to fight a series of one-on-one duels while being cheered on by screaming spectators eager for blood.

Well, he certainly had the screaming spectators part. He also had the one-on-one duel on a specially elevated platform where Chrom and Marth were currently crossing swords...but he hadn't quite anticipated the complete chaos on the arena floor as swordsmen, axemen, knights, mages, and three armored warhorses fought it out in a veritable free-for-all. Virion had retreated to the sidelines with his bow lowered, wary of accidentally hitting a friendly target, while Lissa had the exact opposite problem as she tried to line up her staff in a way that didn't target any opponents. They'd compromised by sticking together, which basically meant Lissa ran circles around the arena looking for anyone who needed healing while Virion tagged along like a lace-ruffled guard dog.

Virion was many things but a poor archer wasn't one of them; mollified about Lissa's safety, Robin looked back to the center of the ring.

Frederick, Sully, and Stahl were all mounted - Khan Flavia had looked much too eager when she confirmed that mounts were allowed in the arena - and employed a simple but devastatingly effective strategy, combining their superior movement with the long reach of their lances in attempts to herd opponents towards the deceptively empty area where Kellam waited. Unfortunately Khan Basilio's chosen fighters were seasoned warriors and quickly adjusted their actions accordingly, resulting in a strange game of cat-and-mouse that involved muscular fighters tumbling around like acrobats and warhorses prancing around in a way oddly reminiscent of giant bunnies.

Robin chuckled at the thought. The image of Frederick riding into battle on a giant, fluffy white bunny with a twitchy nose was truly the stuff of legends; if he saved enough money perhaps he could commission a tapestry? Chrom and Lissa would probably appreciate-

"Look alive!"

Robin jumped away, narrowly missing a sword about to chop off his arm. The swordsman gaped as he lost _his_ arm, which dropped onto the ground and was quickly followed by his head.

"Thank me later," Vaike said with a grin as he hefted his bloody axe and ran back into the melee.

Robin looked blankly at the corpse for a long moment before shaking his head and turning back to the battle, all traces of humor gone. If he was going to be a tactician who fought on the front lines he had to find a way to balance keeping track of his friends' movements and his own personal safety.

Miriel and Sumia had teamed up against the other side's mages, with Miriel engaging them one by one while Sumia distracted the rest with her javelins, but while Miriel was extremely skilled it was obvious that taking on so many opponents was beginning to take its toll.

Magic users rarely wore armor, preferring comfortable clothes that were easy to move in and didn't weigh them down. This made them vulnerable to physical attacks, though that was normally a moot point since anyone who tried to get within range would run headfirst into a barrage of spells before getting close. The only way to cut down a skilled mage was to either engage them from a distance with magic - arrows were easily blocked or destroyed unless they were enchanted - or get close before they had a chance to counter.

But what if someone combined both magical and physical attacks?

Robin drew his sword and charged before he could change his mind. One of the mages turned away from Sumia and launched a volley of flames which Robin quickly dodged, wincing at the searing heat passing inches from his face. Alright, so maybe this wasn't the best idea he'd ever had - after all, if he required two hands to wield a sword and one hand to wield a tome then there was obviously no way to combine the two.

He ducked under another fireball and, sensing an attack coming from the side, put on a burst of speed just in time to avoid a scything blade of wind that would've taken his head off. Sumia took advantage of the moment to swoop down and stab the wind mage in the chest.

Another fireball, this one much bigger than the previous ones and impossible to dodge. Robin gritted his teeth and swung his sword in an attempt to slice it apart like he'd seen Chrom do. If he dropped and rolled with perfect timing he could probably minimize the damage, but without using his magic he wouldn't be able to completely nullify it and the heat would likely ruin his sword...

There was a familiar thrum in his fingertips and suddenly his blade lit up with magical energy, colliding with the fireball with sound not unlike a thunderclap. Sparks and flames burst from the site of impact and quickly dissipated.

The lightning in his sword crackled once more before fading, leaving only a stunned opponent gaping at an equally stunned Robin. Then Miriel's spell soared over Robin's head and the other mage went down screaming and writhing in flames.

"Well, I feel edified." Miriel closed her tome and flicked a speck of dust from her sleeve. "You appear to have developed a most intriguing enchantment. May I inquire as to its specifications?"

"I have no idea," Robin said truthfully. "But I plan to find out."

* * *

Ethereal fire swirled over the ruins, burning away centuries of vegetation to reveal the ancient structures which lay beneath. Rhett shielded his eyes against the glare and squinted as he studied the magical flames, which appeared to combine the devastating effects of fire with the transient nature of lightning. It was quite frankly unlike anything he'd ever seen before, though considering the flames' wielder it was perhaps only to be expected.

He didn't know why he'd assumed that Grima's powers were all attuned to the dark; after all, if humans had the ability to tap into multiple elements why would a god be limited to only one?

A soft chuckle made him jump and turn towards the dragon looking down at him from the top of a staircase leading up to what looked like a grand mausoleum.

"This is a technique developed by my vessel," Grima said with a vaguely amused expression. "These flames combine magical energy with physical ability and require only a fraction of the energy needed to cast a regular spell at the same power."

"Your vessel must be very skilled, milord-um, Levi." Rhett winced at his mistake, though Grima didn't react beyond quirking an eyebrow. After sending Validar to adjust the plans for the assassination Grima had requested Rhett's aid in preparing a few things, which Rhett had naturally immediately agreed to. Grima had also told Rhett to treat him like an ordinary human, which was much more difficult despite Grima's frighteningly good acting.

"Perhaps, though he stumbled onto it with more luck than anything else. It will be another few years before he truly develops it." The flames dissipated and Grima gestured for Rhett to join him at the top of the stairs. "Do you know where we are?"

"No," Rhett admitted as he carefully climbed the crumbling stone steps to stand beside the dragon. Grima had brought them here with his shadows, and as much as Rhett enjoyed experiencing Grima's powers it didn't help much if he wanted to find his way here by himself. "Where...?"

"A long-abandoned island off the coast of Plegia." Grima turned and headed into the building; after a moment's hesitation Rhett hurried to follow. "I believe we are the first to set foot here in over a thousand years."

"I...I see."

The interior of the building was much more elaborate than the seemingly plain exterior suggested, with hollyhock flowers carved into the walls and extremely realistic statues placed in carefully spaced niches. Beside each statue was an empty doorway, the wooden doors having decayed long ago, and through each doorway Rhett could see what looked like an empty chamber containing a single stone coffin.

"Um, Levi?" Rhett said uncertainly as they headed deep into the heart of the building. "If you don't mind me asking, are we here to...recruit?" The statues appeared to be of warriors; most of them paladins, but also more than a few swordsmen, archers, and mages. An army of Risen created from this mausoleum alone would be a highly formidable force.

"In a sense, I suppose." At the end of the hall they entered a small room which contained a single statue, that of a young man holding a sword. Beside the statue was the entrance to what Rhett assumed was this man's tomb, but behind the statue was a large, ornate archway. Grima studied the statue for a moment before stepping around it and walking towards the arch.

The area beyond the archway was a large chamber which held two coffins, each one raised on a low dais that was still partially covered by the tattered remains of a lush carpet. The walls here were decorated, with worn tapestries hanging over painted patterns of blue and gold, and behind each coffin was a single statue.

The first statue was that of a pegasus knight in full armor, with her lance in one hand and the reins of her pegasus in the other. Beside her coffin was a plain but well-crafted cremation vase that Rhett guessed was the home of the pegasus's ashes.

The second statue was a man wearing a surprisingly plain outfit, with a cape around his shoulders and a sword in his hand. There was a simple crown on his head and the brooch on his cape was emblazoned with a symbol that looked vaguely familiar.

"They're very lifelike, aren't they?" Grima said conversationally as he stepped up to the dais and took two blank cards from his pocket. The cards began to glow with a dark light that appeared to pulse with a life of its own. "I've never met them myself as they were a bit before my time, but if Medeus was here he'd probably be overcome with rage by now."

"Medeus?" It took a moment for Rhett to place the name, but once he did everything fell into place and he gaped at the two statues which suddenly appeared a lot larger than they had half a minute ago. "Wait, so these are..."

"King Marth and Queen Caeda." Grima turned and smiled at Rhett's dumbfounded expression. The cards in his hands were no longer blank; instead each one held a perfect image of the inhabitants of each coffin, and as the glow faded several lines of arcane runes etched themselves near the cards' edges to create an elaborate border. "I suppose this is a bit late, but welcome to Altea."

* * *

A/N: I don't normally do authors' notes at the bottom of each chapter but I figured I could make an exception here. Anyway, this is the beginning of my attempt at incorporating the Einherjar into this fic. They will most likely play a very big role, at least on Grima's side of the story, so any feedback would be greatly appreciated!


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